Death Anniversary Thread

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On this day in 1961  Oscar nominated actor Jeff Chandler  died aged 42 following repeated complications after routine back surgery which caused  a significant loss of blood.  His children  successfully  sued his medics for their medical malpractice causing his unnecessary death. 

 

Jeff was oscar nominated for his role in 1950 film Broken  Arrow. 

Other films hecstarred in include  Roses are red (1947)  Sword in the Desert  (1949) and Female on the beach (1955)  with Joan Crawford. 

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American Cajun fiddler and singer Dewey Balfa died on this day 30 years ago, aged 65.

 

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On this day in in 1361 Ingeborg Hakonsdatter of Norway  died aged 59/60.

 

Ingeborg  was a Norwegian Princess by birth  being the only legitimately recognised daughter of King Hakon V of Norway  and a Swedish  Duchess courtesy of her marriage  into Swedish royalty.As a youngster she was promised in marriage or betrothed to  the designated heir of the Swedish throne   However this alliance which had its origins in political motivations ended as the background political dynamics changed and a motive for that particular  union was removed.  However instead  she would later become betrothed and married to the Uncle  of her originally intended husband- now becoming the wife of  Eric Duke of Sodermanland  the brother of the current  King Magnus. 

 

 

 

 

 

Married in 1312  in a double wedding  as her cousin married  the current King of Swedens  second  brother. Ingeborgs  marriage resulted in two sons  but it was not to be a long marriage as widowhood beckoned. Both her husband  Eric and her cousins husband  were imprisoned in Denmark  and murdered after failed peace negotiations  to secure their release in talks that seemed to be surrounded by bad faith.

  As a  young widow she effectively  'inherited' her husbands supporters and followers  at all levels of society.  Her eldest son was declared King but at the age of 3 the only option was for Ingeborg  to be declared formal regent  of Norway and shortly afterwards  Swedens nobility deposed their  king  and nominated young Magnus for the throne.  Naturally again Ingeborg was made the nominal regent and had gained effective authority and control over two Scandinavian countries in a short period of time.

Ingeborg  held court in Varburg but a number of powerful men in Swedish society wanted reward and compensation for both the support  they gave before the Dukes were murdered and for their active and vocal  support  for her son Magnus's claim to the throne after the murder of the senior men in Sweden royal family  . They took advantage of the young widow  having her sign documents  to their advantage -causing concern  among the countries elite.  

 

 

 

 

Over time Ingeborg as regent was seen as being repeatedly  guilty of favourtism  , poor judgement and crucially using  the royal seal of her son  to pursue her own wishes and beliefs rather than being faithful to exercising the regency on her sons behalf.  In other words she abused her power. Increasingly she did not bother to go through the formal niceties of consulting with the governing councils of Sweden and Norway.  An appetite developed to consider clipping her wings and sidelining her but the appetite became decisive when she became involved with a Danish nobleman who was instrumental in getting Ingeborg  to decide to disturb the fragile relations with Denmark and try to make a territorial  conquest  of the country.  Norway approved the doomed plan but Sweden  withheld support and doubters among some of her enablers in Denmark meant the plan failed and Ingeborg was now saddled with considerable personal debt as a result.  

 

  Open political conflict and loud disagreement  between  Ingeborg and Swedens Council escalated but after her humiliation and failed conquest of Denmark-she had few allies left amongst the nobility  and even fewer supporters of the principle of her regency.  She was regarded as a national liability who did not have Swedens  best interests at heart.  Her fate was sealed , her powers diluted or removed and she became effectively deposed in all but name  in return for having her debts taken care of and her relationship with Danish aristrocrat  Canute  sidelined. 

Norway followed Swedens  lead and at this point she was effectively powerless bit still in a formal position.

Controversially she would later marry Canute and have more children but it is thought  despite her continuing ambitions and her sons  accession to the thrones her power and influence never again reached the great heights of the regency  - she had her sons ear when he was King  but kept a low profile and evidence that she changed his direction as monarch is not strong.

 

 

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Vera Lynn died on this day 2 years ago, aged 103.

Lynn got her start in 1937 as a backup singer for bandleader Bert Ambrose. In 1939, Lynn recorded her signature song, "We'll Meet Again". This song's popularity exploded once World War II began, as British soldiers listened to it as an anthem to their families left behind. In 1940, Lynn was ranked as the number one performer for British troops- she would often perform in front of servicemen both domestically and overseas, and became known as "The Forces' Sweetheart". Another song, "The White Cliffs of Dover", was another wartime anthem.

 

After the war, Lynn would continue to find success- these included "You Can't Be True, Dear", and "Auf Wiedersehn, Sweetheart"- the latter topped the US charts in 1952.

 

In the 1960s, Lynn was the host of a variety show on the BBC, and was frequently a performer on Morecambe and Wise's annual Christmas specials. She was knighted in the 1975 Birthday Honours. She performed "We'll Meet Again" outside of Buckingham Palace and in Trafalgar Square to mark the 50th and 60th anniversaries of VE Day.

 

Lynn made her first appearance on the DeathList in 2006, and made twelve appearances in total- her highest rank was the number two spot in 2017 (Kirk Douglas was the only one above her).

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American rapper, singer, and songwriter XXXTentacion died on this day 4 years ago, aged 20.

 

 

American lawyer and politician Robert M. La Follette died on this day 97 years ago, aged 70.

 

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American artist, illustrator, journalist and writer Djuna Barnes died on this day 40 years ago, aged 90.

 

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On this day in 2006 american film director  Vincent Sherman died aged 99.

He directed a number of films during the golden age of Hollywood some that went on to become regarded as classic or iconic. 

Amongst the films he directed were The Young Philadelphians(1959) with Paul Newman ,Barbara Rush and Robert Vaughn as the lead actors,  film noir Nora  Prentiss (1947) with Ann Sheridan and Kent Smith, The Hasty Heart (1949) lead actor future US President  Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal.

 

But some of his most critically acclaimed,  successful and best known work was with Hollywood legends  Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. 

 

 

The Damned Don't cry(1950)  was a hugely successful but dark film about  organised crime that he directed Joan Crawford in.

 

His films with Bette Davis include  Mr Skeffington  (1944) which also starred Claude Rains,  and  Old Acquaintance (1943) with both Bette and Miriam Hopkins .

Vincent had a three year affair with Joan Crawford and an onset  affair with Bette Davis.

He also worked with a number of the biggest names of the era including  Ava  Gardner, Humphrey Bogart ,Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth and Clark Gable.

 

 

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American actress Nancy Marchand  died on this day in the year 2000 aged 71. Best known in  her later career for starring in hit US sitcom  Cheers and crime drama The Sopranos. 

The film adaptation of Agatha Christie mystery novel Sparkling Cyanide in the 1980s  is  also  one of her acting credits. 

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Maximilian I of Mexico died on this day 155 years ago, aged 34.

Maximilian was actually a member of the Austrian royal family- he was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

In 1859, several Mexican monarchists approached Maximilian wanting him to become Emperor of Mexico- he was seen as a legitimate claim as the Habsburg dynasty (of which he was descended from) were the rulers of Spain at the time they were conquering Mexico in the 1500s. In 1861, Mexican diplomat Jose Gutierrez de Estrada sent him a formal letter- at the time, France was attempting to install a monarchy loyal to their interests. Emperor Napoleon III succeeded in this, and invited Maximilian to claim the throne, to which he accepted. Maximilian was declared emperor in April 1864 and arrived in Mexico one month later, to hostile reception from Mexicans. Maximilian and his wife, Carlota, had no children of their own, but adopted two so he could have an heir- the heir apparent's biological mother wished for his return to her, and Maximilian had her exiled.

 

Mexico's leadership was immediately contested, as citizens still recognized Benito Juarez as president. In 1865, US President Andrew Johnson invoked the Monroe Doctrine, also recognizing Juarez's legitimacy. In response, Maximilian invited Confederate soldiers to move to Mexico and form colonies there. Maximilian also banned militias and executed their members, fueling the resistance movement. In 1866, Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico, and encouraged Maximilian to leave.

 

Juarez's supporters recaptured Mexico City on May 15, 1867, and Maximilian was caught the day after, trying to escape through enemy lines. He was court-martialed and sentenced to death. Maximilian, along with two of his generals, were executed by firing squad on June 19, 1867. His body was embalmed- here's a creepy picture of his mummy below:

It was later sailed back to Austria, and interred in the Imperial Crypt.

 

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American country music singer Bobby Helms died on this day 25 years ago, aged 63.

 

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Scottish  author and playwright  J.M Barrie, best known for being the author and creator behind Peter Pan ,died on this day in 1937 aged 77.

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British novelist, playwright, and poet William Golding died on this day 29 years ago, aged 81.

 

 

Mexican singer, actor, songwriter, equestrian, film producer, and screenwriter with a dominating career in music Antonio Aguilar died on this day 15 years ago, aged 88.

 

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American actress  Jean Arthur  died at the age of 90 on this day in 1991.

An actress of stage and screen Jeans film career began in the silent movie era  in the 1920s and continued until the mid 1950s .

       Her credits include three Frank Capra films  Mr Deeds goes to town (1936) alongside  Gary Cooper,  You can't take it with you (1938) with James Stewart and Mr Smith goes to Washington (1939) again with the legendary  James Stewart. 

Other acting credits include -  Bringin home the bacon(1924)  ,The Drugstore Cowboy (1925), Easy come easy go (1928) , The virtuous Husband (1931), More than a secretary (1936), The talk of the town (1941) 

 

Jean initially  retired from film in 1944 after her contract with Columbia Pictures came to its end.  Such was her relief at the time she is reported to have ran outside the studios happily shouting I'm free I'm free!

  However after a period of turning down roles and refusing to be tempted out of retirement  she did accept a number of roles, One opposite Marlene Dietrich and most famously a western film called Shane opposite Alan Ladd and Van Heflin- this film being the most commercially  successful of her career. 

Her later stage work in Broadway was very intermittent because as time went on Jean suffered more and more serious bouts of stage fright  and psychosomatic illness. 

 

She did however manage to try some big roles including as Joan of Arc in a George Bernard Shaw play  Saint Joan and Leonard Bernsteins stage adaptation of Peter Pan. 

    In her personal life  Jean was married twice,  the first marriage annulled after one day and the second to a film producer Frank Ross Jnr which ended in divorced after 17 years. She had no children. 

In the 1970s she was briefly  jailed  and given a fine and probation for trespassing on a neighbours property  , her reason being she was consoling a pet dog she felt was being mistreated. 

Jean Arthur died in 1991  but seemed to have arranged in  advance for there not to be a funeral. 

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William IV, King of the UK, died on this day 185 years ago, aged 71.

William was the third child of King George III, and was the only member of the British royal family to be a veteran of the American Revolution. George Washington plotted to kidnap him during the war- this was uncovered, and William received bodyguards. William was given honorary naval titles during the Napoleonic Wars.

 

William's father died in 1820 after a 59-year reign, making him second in line to the throne. His older brother Frederick died in 1827, making him heir apparent, and William became king in 1830 following the death of his brother, George IV- whose only children were illegitimate. William also had plenty of love children- twelve in total.

 

In 1831, William faced a parliamentary crisis- following the Tory defeat in 1830, a reform bill that would give larger cities more power over tiny villages that elected more MPs than they did was defeated. A second reform bill was denied passage, and riots ensued. The Reform Act of 1832 was passed when William threatened to create new peers, which the opposition did not like. This act would later cause the House of Commons to overtake the power of the House of Lords.

 

During William's reign, child labor was limited and slavery was abolished. William died in 1837 after almost exactly seven years on the throne, and the crown went to his niece Victoria.

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On this day in 2012  former Second Lady of the United States,  Judy Agnew,  wife of republican Vice President  to Richard Nixon Spiro Agnew ,died aged 91-outliving  her husband by over 16 years. 

Her time as Second Lady of the US came to an abrupt end after nearly 5 years when her husband was forced to resign in late 1973 as a result of a financial scandal.  He was replaced by future  US President Gerald Ford.

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American entrepreneur, businessman and founder of a chain of restaurants and motels, Howard Deering Johnson, died on this day 50 years ago, aged 75.

 

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On this day in 1906  , acclaimed  english landscape artist John Clayton Adams died aged 66.

John developed his painting and artistry  at one of the best art and design educational institutions in the country  at the time- the Bloomsbury school  which has a long list of successful famous alumni. 

 His paintings were  first displayed at an exhibition when he was just 19 at the Royal academy  and he continued to exhibit his work there for thirty years - 75 pictures in total. A number also displayed at the prestigious Royal society of british artists.

 

 

 

 

Adams work is widely regarded  as pleasantly  naturalistic, honest in its attention to tiny visual details but with a strong inclination to be overall generally idealised.

  Most of his paintings are of the counties in Southern England  with Surrey being a particular favourite, but some paintings of Scotland and the River Tweed also. 

  Today his work  is exhibited at many UK art galleries  including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Sheffield City art galleries. 

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Carroll O'Connor died on this day 21 years ago, aged 76.

 

In the 1960s, O'Connor appeared in episodes of The Wild Wild West, I Spy, and Mission: Impossible. He was considered for the role as the Skipper in Gilligan's Island and the antagonist Dr. Smith in Lost in Space.

 

In 1968, Norman Lear asked O'Connor (after asking Mickey Rooney) to star in the pilot of a show he called Justice for All as Archie Justice. The pilot was reworked into an Americanized version of the British Till Death Us Do Part, with Archie being based off of the character Alf Garnett. Archie's last name was changed to "Bunker", and the show became known as All in the Family.

 

Archie's character was that of a misanthropic bigot who hated everyone, who also made plenty of gaffes. The character also showed development by accepting the differences of his friends over time. Archie became the show's breakout character, and in the 1972 election, people began to use the term "Archie Bunker vote" to describe voters that were urban, working-class white people. He won four Emmys during his time on the show. After All in the Family ended in 1979, O'Connor starred in the spin-off series called Archie Bunker's Place. The series ended in 1983.

 

From 1988 to 1995, O'Connor starred in In the Heat of the Night, a sequel series to the original novel. In 1995, his son Hugh's suicide following drug addiction led him to rally for the families of the deceased to be allowed to sue the drug dealer for liability, which was passed by the California government in 1997.

 

O'Connor had a history of heart problems. He underwent bypass surgery in 1989, and underwent a second surgery in 1998. O'Connor was also diabetic, and a heart attack exacerbated by his condition was what caused his death.

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Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967 Sukarno died on this day 52 years ago, aged 69.

 

 

American restaurateur and marketer of pork sausage products Bob Evans died on this day 15 years ago, aged 89.

 

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American businessman and engineer Madman Muntz died on this day 35 years ago, aged 73.

 

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American  tennis player  Maureen  Connolly  died on this day aged 34  in 1969 from ovarian cancer. 

In her all too brief life and career  she won nine major singles titles and was the first woman to win a grand slam.

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On this day in 1957 Nobel prize winning German physicist  Johnannes  Stark died aged 83.

Highly intelligent and gifted in jis area of expertise  physics  Johannes wrote over 300 papers on the subject,  mainly electricity. 

He won the Nobel prize for physics  in 1919 for his discovery and confirmation of the doppler effect  in canal rays and the splitting of spectral lines in electric fields- the latter named after him as the stark effect.  In 1907 he asked an unknown Albert Einstein to write a review article on the principle of relativity. 

His undeniable  intellectual gifts were overshadowded by his early and ongoing for Adolf Hitler from 1924.  Johannes was one of the key main figures along with Nobel  laureate Philipp Lenard behind a drive to remove all Jewish scientists  from German  physics  in an antisemitic purge. 

        In 1947  he was found guilty of being a 'major offender' by a  denazification court. 

   In 2020 the International Astronomical  Union in recognition of Starks  achievements in physics  decided to honour  him by naming a crater on the moon after him but dropped the plan after his  Nazi past they unknowingly overlooked was  highlighted to them. 

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Judy Garland died on this day 53 years ago, aged 47.

Garland is someone who needs no introduction- she's best known for The Wizard of Oz (and to a lesser extent, the 1954 A Star is Born), and being the mother of Liza Minnelli. Garland died of a barbiturate addiction.

 

An interesting fact that regards Garland is that her daughter was once married to the son of Jack Haley (who co-starred as the Tin Man).

 

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American actor, dancer, singer, choreographer and television presenter, Fred Astaire, died on this day 35 years ago, aged 88.

 

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American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic George Carlin died on this day 14 years ago, aged 71.